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Vera Calenhawk
Overview Vera Calenhawk hails from the city of Swordsfield, and is in training to become a Tharsiscan Knight. She is good friends with Lyreff Mercatius Crowe, who had fled Skyscour Castle and Tharsis in 616. Vera is currently searching for him while at the same time completing her knightly training. Background Childhood Born the daughter of a steel-shaper in Swordsfield, Vera Calenhawk always admired the Tharsiscan Knights, reveling in their tales of bravery and battle. Vera's appreciation of justice and great personal strength shone throughout her childhood years, as she was often seen wrestling and subduing bullies twice her size. At the tender age of 9, Vera's father Helden suddenly fell ill. As a single parent (Vera's mother had passed in childbirth), he could no longer earn enough money to support himself and his daughter. Taking it upon herself to save the Calenhawk family name, Vera became even more determined to reach knighthood. The perfect opportunity arose during a military parade through the streets of Swordsfield. The small Vera slipped through the crowds and guards, and ran straight into the street, kneeling prostrate before the lead knight. The surprised knight, riding a massive white steed and wearing his iconic black armor, nearly trampled the small child hunched over in the middle of the road. Taking off his large, antlered helmet and revealing himself to be none other than Tharsiscan general Valen Cantorus Crowe, the knight motioned the guards to stay back after they had moved to displace the child. Dismounting, Valen crouched down and asked Vera, trembling in fear, what she had intended to accomplish "through the madness of throwing herself in the way of the largest steed in the fiefdom". Wiping back tears of anxiousness, Vera stood up, pointed up at the general's armor, and proclaimed loudly of her intentions to become a Tharsiscan knight. The crowd erupted into laughter, but Vera remained unfazed, standing rigid but quivering and desperately trying to maintain her composure. Amidst the snickering of the guards, only General Valen himself remained silent, his eyes seeming to pierce straight into Vera's. The child breathed in deeply, and began to explain her situation to the attentive knight. Her words were staggered with tears, but each one reached Valen clearly and with conviction. To the surprise of all; the guards, the passerby, even his fellow knights, Valen calmly asked Vera to bring him to her father. The crowd went silent. Vera, surprised at his response, was at a loss for words. She sniffled back the last of her tears, her tiny hand grabbed Valen's armored forefinger, and she began to lead him through the crowd of astonished onlookers towards the smithy she had grown up in. Helden nearly had a heart attack, seeing his daughter quietly lead the famous General Valen through the doors of his own house. Valen urged the bed-bound blacksmith to remain calm, and that he was only there to talk. The general began to retell the events of Vera's eventful day, which again almost caused Helden another heart attack. In his recollection, Valen mentioned that the conviction he saw in Vera's eyes rivaled the duke himself, and with twice the fearlessness. He told Helden how lucky he was to have such a brave yet caring daughter, and that he would be happy to personally train Vera into a Tharsiscan Knight himself. The blacksmith stared at Valen, then at his daughter (making puppy-dog eyes), then into the distance, lost deep in his own thought. After an intense silence, Helden agreed, but not before making Vera promise to come home safe. Her smile beaming through her tear-stained face, Vera nodded happily. She stared up at the general, who smiled back and told her to pack her things for the trip to Skyscour. Squiredom Typical squires are inducted at the age of 13. At only 9 years old, a special exception had to be made for Vera. Unlike most squires however, she was not taken into battle with General Valen immediately. While Valen was on leave, she would be taught and instructed by the knights and royal guards within the castle. Whenever the general returned however, he made it a point to spend as much time as he could training and teaching Vera personally. As Valen personally lacked any children, many who worked in the castle remarked that the general became almost fatherly to the young squire, treating Vera as his own. On her 13th birthday, Valen finally saw it appropriate to bring her into battle, and Vera rode with the general and a small detachment of soldiers to the town of Lyenne, where a group of bandits had begun to assault the villagers. Putting herself between a pair of children and a volley of arrows, Vera deflected the majority of projectiles with her shield but had missed one, lodging itself into the side of her torso. Wincing from the pain but still standing, Vera made sure to check on the two children behind her before tending to her own wounds. Valen and the rest of the soldiers were thoroughly impressed, earning Vera the affectionate nickname of "The Wall". Through her service and Valen's support, Vera received a small amount of income that was enough for her father, Helden Calenhawk, to take a break from his work as blacksmith and spend time recovering from illness. Several months later he grew back into health, but was insisted on by Vera to not push himself too hard. As Vera's duties increased, so did her income, and by the time she was 15 years of age, Vera had earned enough to allow Helden to retire. Helden, being a prideful blacksmith himself, insisted on continuing to work, although taking significantly more rest days at Vera's behest. During Vera's days within Skyscour, she would often take the time to explore the many halls and floors of the massive castle. One day in particular, when she was 10, Vera had accidentally wandered into a library she had never recognized before. Taking the time to look around and sift through the bookshelves, she had unwittingly found the young Lyreff Mercatius Crowe, sitting on the floor and reading a picture book about dragons. His eyes deep into the colorful illustrations, Lyreff visibly jumped when Vera loudly announced her name and presence. Although surprised and somewhat scared by the unusually enthusiastic girl, Lyreff would eventually become good riends with the squire, as Vera found the white-haired boy fascinating and Lyreff had few friends and little else to do. Duke Mercatius Cantorus, who had noticed that the two children had met, asked Vera to promise not to tell anyone outside of the castle of Lyreff's existence. Although not entirely sure why Lyreff had to be kept away, Vera swore on her honor to keep the Duke's secret safe. In the year 616, when Vera was 15 years of age, the Duke was executed on charges of treason and adultery. Her friend Lyreff had suddenly gone missing, and when she asked General Valen as to what had happened, he told her that Lyreff had ran away and was likely killed. Refusing to believe him, Vera has spent the last two years completing her training as a knight all the while searching for any clues as to the whereabouts of her best friend. Personality Vera is head-strong, reckless, and is quick to accept challenges from others. Commonly made fun of for her diminutive height, all teasing seems to stop when she gets a chance to demonstrate her unfathomable strength. A true believer of justice, Vera has a strong sense of right and wrong and believes resolutely in defending the weak. She will often go out of her way to confront criminals, challenging petty thieves to duels in the middle of the street. The thieves, having common sense, simply escape before she has a chance to reach them. Being amiable and openly talking with people she may have just met, Vera is quick to inspire trust among her comrades and makes friends easily. Although usually incredibly dedicated and focused on her responsibilities, Vera has been known to wander off of her designated patrol path in order to pet stray cats. Equipment Having yet to earn the iconic ebony-plated armor worn by the Tharsiscan Knights, Vera wears a simple but incredibly sturdy set of steel plate armor, fitted and forged by her father Helden. She carries a large tower shield she had been taught by her father to smith herself, with the prominent symbol of a yellow sun emblazoned on the front. In battle, Vera wields a one-handed steel hammer to direct her powerful strength in crushing blows, as well as serving as a reminder of her father's smithy. Present Whereabouts Close to reaching official knighthood, there are few obstacles in the way of Vera and her dream occupation. However, she still wonders what has happened to her friend Lyreff, whom she refuses to believe has passed. Resolving to see him once again, she has recently decided to travel to the Fiefdom of Thimia in order to complete her equestrian training, as well as possibly search for clues regarding Lyreff's mysterious absence. Special Abilities Trivia Vera "The Wall" Calenhawk has beat soldiers twice her size in games of tug-of-war, and many of the guards stationed at Skyscour and Swordsfield have learned never to bet money against her. She dislikes tea and her favorite meal of the day is dessert, specifically strawberry creampuffs. On the road, she enjoys bars of Tharsis Onion Cake as a snack that reminds her of home.